


love you to the moon and to saturn

by luneetetoiles



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: i love them, they are soulmates :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 08:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26349772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luneetetoiles/pseuds/luneetetoiles
Summary: After finding out that Logan had slept with Honor’s entire bridal party, she broke things off with him in March. She finally realized that Logan was not what she wanted, she finished her junior spring single. She and Jess get together in August of 2006 before she goes back to school. Rory visits Jess in Philadelphia for the first time.
Relationships: Rory Gilmore & Jess Mariano, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano
Kudos: 37
Collections: invisible string-jess and rory





	love you to the moon and to saturn

It was fall pause for Rory, her midterms had ended, her senior seminar canceled, and she had big plans to finish up her work assigned for the long weekend before Jess arrived on Monday to accompany her for the rest of the break. She had decided that she wanted a couple of days to herself on a mostly quiet campus. By noon, Yale was mostly deserted, students fled New Haven and traveled home, or with friends away for the weekend, escaping academia life for a little bit. However, the one place on campus that seemed to be noisy was Rory and Paris’s apartment. Despite midterms being over, Rory still had work to do, and she wanted to do it now so that she could give Jess her undivided attention when he arrived.

When Rory arrived back to her apartment after her morning classes, Paris and Doyle were already arguing. They too were staying on campus for the break, but neither seemed very interested in being quiet and doing their work. After listening to an hour of arguing and an hour of jiu-jitsu fighting, Rory decided that she had to flee.

“Paris?” She called over the yelling, they were back to arguing. “What Rory, we’re clearly in the middle of something,” Paris said brashly. “I decided I’m going to Philadelphia for the weekend, and wanted to let you know,” Rory said, holding her backpack, purse, and a duffel bag that she had hastily packed. “Ah, good, now I can do my work, well, tell Kerouac I say hi,” Paris said, and Rory nodded her head and left.

Rory made the three-hour drive thinking about possible ideas for her theses and worrying about seeing Jess. They had been dating for a few months, but it was the first time they’d seen each other in a few weeks, and she knew she was going to meet Chris and Matt for the first time while in Philadelphia. A little after 6:00, she parked her car on Locust street, just a couple blocks from Truncheon. She was surprised to find a spot so easily, traffic was bumper to bumper in the busy Philadelphia streets as people exited the city for the night.

As she walked down the street to the bookstore and publishing house, she noticed a few people dining on restaurant patios, enjoying the unusually warm fall evening. As she arrived just outside Truncheon, she fiddled with her fingers nervously and stood outside for a moment to ensure her breath was even. The lights were on inside despite the sign that said closed, and below, another sign displaying their hours, stating that they closed at 6 p.m. on Fridays. She tried the knob, which surprisingly opened, despite the closed state of the store. Above her, a bell rang out quietly.

We’re closed,” a voice rang out from above her. Rory looked around and saw who she assumed to be Matt and Chis sitting at cluttered desks on the loft that overlooked the downstairs. “And we’re not taking any new manuscripts, sorry,” the second voice, who Rory thinks belongs to Chris said. “Hey, that is not a way to greet possible customers or clients,” the first voice, Matt, Rory thinks, grumbled. “Well, if you want us to read your manuscript, you’re going to have to wait until we get through these,” Chris said, gesturing to the three stacks of manuscripts that were stacked above both desks. “That’s a little better,” Matt said, then continued, “we open at 10 tomorrow if you want to come back and shop or sell something to us then.” “Pease don’t try and sell something to us, I promise we don’t want or need it,” Chris said. “I promise I’m not here to sell you anything, or for you to read my manuscript, or to shop, I’m looking for Jess,” Rory called up. “He’s not working today,” Matt says. “Well is he here?” Rory asked. “He has a girlfriend you know,” Chris says. “Can you please just get him?” She asked again. The smaller white man, who Rory is pretty certain is Matt and the owner of the first voice grumbled and sighed before yelling Jess’s name up the stairs. “Jess gets grouchy around pretty girls, and he still has a girlfriend,” Matt said when he came back. “Who are you anyway?” Chirs asked, growing curious of the girl who looked an awful lot like the girl in the pictures on Jess’s wall. But Rory waved him off, asking again if he was coming, her nervousness growing due to Matt and Chris’s comments.

Upon her question, she saw Jess appear from the stairs, and he looked over at Matt and asking, “What did you need me to come down here for?” In response, Matt pointed his head in Rory’s direction. “Rory,” he breathed, so that only Matt and Chris could hear him. “Why didn’t you tell me it was her?” he asked. “Who?” Matt, asked, feeling dumb. Jess didn’t respond and basically ran down the stairs to greet Rory.

He pulled her into a tight hug burying his face into her shoulder, taking in the scent of her perfume and shampoo. He pulled away and leaned down to kiss her, harder than she would’ve liked while in the company of two strangers, but she wasn’t about to complain. She was here, with Jess. She pulled away, remembering the presence of Matt and Chris, “hey,” she said quietly, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, almost as if he was going to float away from her. “Hey, you’re here,” Jess said, reaching up to tuck a piece of Rory’s hair behind her ear. “I’ll tell you about it later, why don’t you introduce me to your friends,” she said and Jess rolled his eyes, not seeming to care about the public display of affection, more annoyed that he couldn’t keep kissing Rory. He turned her around in his arms so that her back was against his front, and put his arms on her shoulders. “Guys, this is Rory, Rory this is Matt and Chris,” he said, squeezing Rory’s shoulders. Matt and Chris both nod their heads at Rory and then went back to work.

“What are you doing here?” Jess asks, turning Rory back around to face him and wrapping his arms around her waist. “Oh, I’ll give you a play-by-play later, the short answer is Paris,” Rory says and wraps her arms around Jess’s neck. Jess nods, “of course, Paris is always at the root of your problems.” “She is not,” Rory says, scowling, “fine, most,” Jess responded, chuckling at Rory’s scowl. “Is it okay if I stay here until Tuesday? I know I should’ve called, but-” “Rory, of course, it’s okay, I’m more than happy to have you,” Jess reassured her. “Should we go get your stuff? Are you parked outside?” He asks, removing his arms from Rory’s waist and grabbing her hand. “Yeah, down the street, thank you,” Rory says, squeezing his hand.

“So how were midterms?” Jess asks, holding the door open for Rory. “They were okay, I only had two exams and a paper, since my seminars didn’t have exams,” she explained to Jess as they began to walk to her car, hand-in-hand. This was nice, she thought, being here, in Philadelphia, with Jess. It’s something she had fantasized about at 17, but had never let herself get too far into it, scared of disappointment, scared that Jess would run. And, even though he did, time away had allowed them to catch up to each other, to get on the same page, both more mature and settled than at 17.

“Earth to Rory,” Jess said, leaning over to sarcastically wave a hand across her face. They were outside her car, she hadn’t even noticed. Jess turned towards her, “what are you thinking about, Ror?” He asked, looking concerned. “You, us, how happy I am to be here,” Rory said, smiling and blushing slightly. Jess smiled and kissed her slowly, “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, lips gracing her cheek.

“Jeez, Gilmore what’s even in this?” Jess asked, picking up her bulging backpack. “Research. My poli sci thesis is not where I want it to be, and none of my classmates will read it, so I have lots of research to do,” “Rory it’s October, your thesis is due in December,” Jess said, setting down her backpack on the curb so he could grab her duffle bag. “I like to be ahead, and I don’t want to write the English one and the poli sci one at the same time, I’m not even that far through it, just like a fourth,” Rory rambled. “You know, Matt was a poli sci major at UPenn, I’m sure he’d read your thesis,” Jess said, trying to aid Rory’s nervousness. “Really? Oh that would be great,” Rory said, and Jess could almost literally hear her sigh out of relief. “Rory, it’ll be alright, I’m here to help you, Paris will help you, you’ll finish them and they’ll be great,” Jess said, setting Rory’s bags back down to put an arm around her shoulders. “I know, I know, you’re right, I don’t want to mope and be nervous about it right now, I just want to be here with you,” she said, looking up from Jess’s grasp at him.

When they get back, Jess leads them upstairs and pushes her towards Matt where he sat at his desk. “Matt,” Rory says, nervous for some reason. “Rory,” he responds, and Rory looks over at Jess for reassurance, and he nods her head at her. “Jess told me that you were a poli sci major and I was just wondering if you could read what I have for my thesis, it’s not a lot, but my classmates won’t read it yet-” “yeah, sure I can do it when I’m done here,” Matt says, without looking up. “Great, thank you so much,” she says, grinning.

“Why did Matt make you so nervous,” Jess asks, concerningly once they get up to the apartment Jess, Chris, and Matt lived in. “They’re your friends and roommates, and I want them to like me,” Rory says, pulling on her sleeves. “Oh Ror, of course they’ll like you, and if they don’t then I’ll just have to move and find a new job,” Jess says, sarcastic, but reassuring. “C’mhere,” Jess says, pulling Rory to him and kissing the top of her head before leading her to his bedroom.

Once in Jess’s bedroom, he sets Rory’s stuff on the ground and slips his shoes off, and Rory does the same, putting her purse next to her backpack and her shoes next to Jess’s and closes the door behind him. And Rory kisses him, properly, without anyone watching them, and finally feelt relaxed, leaving her nervousness and theses problems elsewhere. “Hey,” she whispers, lips still gracing his. Jess kisses her again, deeply, hands running through her hair, “hey,” he breathes back, his lips on her cheek. He kisses her again, tongue slipping in between her teeth, and then works his way down her neck, kissing every spot of exposed skin above her sweater. Her hands begin to crawl up his skin underneath his shirt, and Rory lightly scratches his back in pleasure as he kisses her neck. She reached back down to pull his shirt off and tossed it aside and stood on her toes to kiss him, one arm around his waist, one pulling on his hair. He kisses back, arms removing themselves from her waist to pull her sweater over her head, and lightly tossing it on the floor before undoing her belt.

“How in the world are you so good at kissing and taking off people’s clothes at the same time,” Rory whispers into his ear, catching her breath. “Oh, Ror, you know I’ve always been good at multitasking,” Jess whispers back before grabbing her hand and leading her to the bed. “Wait,” Rory says, before letting Jess get on the bed. She unbuttons his jeans and pulls them off his hips and down his legs and gestures for Jess to step out of them before pushing him onto the bed, “so assertive, Gilmore,” Jess says, grinning at his girlfriend. He sits up on the bed, and slowly unbuttons Rory’s jeans, while she stands in front of him, running her hands through his hair. He gets her jeans down her hips, but he’s taking too long, so Rory pulls them off herself before sitting down on Jess’s lap and kissing him deeply. “Hang on, are you wearing matching underwear?” Jess says, now taking in the sight. Rory blushes, there is one thing she had time to do before leaving. “Is it dorky?” Rory asked, propping herself up on her elbows. “No, it’s hot, you’re hot, and gorgeous, and all the synonyms in between,” Jess says, pulling her back by her arm and kissing her collarbone.

Their kisses are slow and steady, lingering on lips, shoulders, jaws, and hip bones. Rory is atop Jess, one finger teasing at the elastic of his boxers, the other in his hair as she slowly kisses up his chest and across his jaw. He reaches around her and unclapses her bra, again with the multitasking, and then he slowly make their way down to her underwear, fingers taking their time to graze down her spine. Rory’s lips finally reach his lips and he kisses her, tongue playing with hers, before reaching down and slipping her underwear off with the flick of one hand. Rory grins, and bites his lip sofly before letting her hands run down his side and slip his boxers off.

She moves off him so he can grab a condom from the drawer besides his bed. She kisses up his neck as he makes work of the condom, one hand on his thigh, the other propping her up. “Rory,” he growls, rolling her over so he can get on top. “Jess,” she whispers back, feeling his hands on her hips. He slowly traces his fingers up her front, landing on her collarbones before slotting himself between her legs, pushing his hips in until they are flush with hers. Rory quivered, feeling Jess inside of her, and her nails digging into Jess’s shoulder. They set a rhythm, and Jess comes quickly, dissolving into pleasure, and moaning Rory’s name quietly. He keeps going until she comes, not longer after, a wave crashing over her, and he collapses into her, both feeling drunk off happiness.

Placing a light kiss on Rory’s lips, Jess rolls out of bed and throws the condom away before putting on his boxers. Rory sits up and covers herself in the comforter and he finds Rory’s underwear in the mess of clothes and tosses it to her. She pulls it on and stands up too, and not really caring to put her sweater back on, she walks over to Jess’s dresser and opens drawers till she finds one full of his t-shirts. After rummaging through them for a few seconds, she sees a tattered Metallica shirt with holes at the neckline from time. It’s one that he sported frequently at seventeen, often with a leather jacket and a scowl. She lifted it out from the bottom of the drawer and pulled it on, deciding that she would be taking this one home with her. It smelled like him and reminded her of their days in Stars Hollow, maybe a little too much.

She then began taking the space around her. Jess never really had his own space in Stars Hollow, as he shared it with Luke, but she knows that this, this is what Jess is like. It was small, but it was him, in every way. His desk had multiple mansucripts on it, all covered in black and red ink. There was another stack of manuscripts over a foot high next to the desk. And the books, they were everywhere. There was at least three on his desk, and four on his nightstand, and piled high in the corner next to a record player. There were posters of bands they had talked about on the walls, and what looked like the no cellphone sign from Luke’s. She let out an audible breath. On the wall above his desk, there was a picture of him and Luke, and then, a picture of Rory laughing on her couch at Yale, a picture of them kissing over the counter at Luke’s, Rory in her Chilton uniform and obnoxiously yellow backpack, Jess in said Metallica shirt and leather jacket, a picture of them sitting on the floor in a corner of Andrew’s, Jess’s arm around her, holding a book they both seemed to be reading in the hand that wasn’t holding hers, and finally, a picture of Jess sitting on one end of the couch at her home in Stars Hollow with her head in his lap, she looked asleep, and he looked as if he was seeing the most amazing thing, he looked in love.

While she was looking at the memorial to their relationship, she felt Jess’s arms wrap around her waist, and his chin dropped to her shoulder, her eyes were misting. “Jess,” she said, trying to keep her tone steady. “Hm,” he said, eyes closed, lips brushing her ear. “I love you,” she says, turning around so she can look at him. She was met with an uncharacteristically large grin on Jess’s face, and he hugged her so hard he picked her up, then he kissed her, “I love you, Rory, I love you so much,” he said, cupping her face in his hands before kissing her again. “Don’t say it just because I said it, you don’t have to say it back-” she began to ramble, and he kissed her again to stop her, before placing a finger on her lips. “Rory, I love you, I’ve always loved you, I will always love you, it’s always been you,” he says, and Rory grins back at him.

She can’t help but be taken back to when he said it to her almost two years ago.

_“I get to leave first!” She had exclaimed, running frantically around the streets of Stars Hollow, wanting in some way for Jess to understand how she felt about him running. They yelled back and forth running across town, looking absolutely ridiculous, as he had said. It was Rory’s town, she should have been the one who got to leave. He had asked her to stop, so they could talk, “you know, I have actually thought about this moment, a lot, ‘what would Jess say to me if I ever saw him again? I mean he just took off, no note, no nothing, how could he explain that? And then a year goes by, no word, nothing, he couldn’t possibly have a good excuse for that, right? I have imagined hundreds of different scenarios with a hundred different great last parting lines, and I have to tell you that I am actually very curious to see which way this is going to go,’ she had ranted, out of breath and frustrated. He asks to sit down, she rejects it, “talk, what do you have to say to me?” “I love you.” And that was it, he got in his car and left. She was left wordless in a dimly lit street, the world turning from these words. They were incredibly unexpected. She spent days reeling, trying to find the courage to write, or call, but she couldn’t. She loved him too._

They sit back down on Jess’s bed, Jess’s back against the headboard, and Rory’s back leaning against his front, his hands playing with her hair. “Jess,” “mhm,” “What do you think about me starting to apply for jobs here, in Philadelphia,” Rory says, quietly, and Jess thinks for a minute. “Rory I want you to do whatever makes you happy,” he said, reaching around Rory’s waist to hold her hands in his. “Jess, no job is going to make me happier than you make me,” she said, turning around so that she was facing him, and grabbing his hands again, running her thumbs against his knuckles.

Jess smiled at her, “then apply for jobs here, or just be a squatter in my apartment. Either way, it would be nice to have you close by,” he said, kissing her temple. “So, it’s okay that I want to apply for jobs here now, even though I wouldn’t be starting for another ten or so months,” Rory says hesitantly. “Rory, I’m not going to run again, I’m not that immature prick with a chip on his shoulder anymore, I’m sorry I ran, but I’m not going to do that anymore, I promise you. I’m happy here, I’m happy with you, I have no intention of changing a thing, like we talked about in August,” Jess said, very sincere, with one hand in Rory’s and another on her thigh.

Rory knew Jess appreciated the stability he had in Philadelphia, it was a place he chose to live, doing something he chose to do, which all were pretty much firsts for him. She trusted that he wouldn’t run, that he genuinely meant what he told her. She thought back to when she told him that she and Logan had broken up, to their kiss in Truncheon a few months later, to her packing up her dorm, to their road trip, to their New York trip. “I love you,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. “I love you, more,” he whispered back, allowing his lips to grace hers lightly.

After a moment, Rory’s stomach growls, breaking the silence. “You want to get dinner?” Jess asks, looking up and smiling at Rory. “Yes, please, can we get Mexican?” Rory asks, beginning to extract herself from Jess’s grasp. “Sure, there’s a great place down the street,” Jess says, getting out of bed. Rory finds her pants and hands Jess’s his and they both slip them on. Rory tucks Jess’s worn Nirvana shirt into her jeans, not really wanting to take it off. She puts her shoes and jacket on and grabs her purse, while Jess straightens his hair in the mirror behind the door.

They walk to the restaurant hand in hand, the warm October day long gone due to the sun’s descent. They walked in silence, and Rory took in the scene around her. Jess’s street was surprisingly quiet for it being a Friday night in a city, but it was still early and a little cold. The streets were illuminated by street lights and neon signs, and Jess looked particularly handsome, his features accentuated in the light from the streets.

They get to the restaurant and order before sitting down. It’s a little loud, but not so much that they have to yell to hear each other. “So, Paris?” Jess asks, and Rory sighs upon hearing her name. “As soon as I got home, she and Doyle were already arguing and yelling and I tried to get work done, but then after like an hour of yelling, they started to do jiu-jitsu and yell at the same time, and I just decided it would be best to escape,” Rory says, tired just thinking about Paris’s antics. “Yeah if you hadn’t gotten out of there when you did, who knows if you could have escaped at all,” Jess jokes, making Rory laugh. “Seriously, though, I don’t know why or even how you still put up with her,” Jess said, “it requires a lot of patience, but we’ve been friends for like seven years now, I don’t think I’m ever going to lose her,” Rory responded, accepting their plates from the waiter. “They do say that once you’re friends with someone for seven years, you’re more likely to be friends for life, so uh, good luck,” Jess says, laughing. “Well, I wouldn’t say we have been friends for that long, I don’t even think the term “friend” came up until probably D.C.,” Rory argued. “Fine, those who are rivals for several years and then become friends and the equivalency is about seven years are more likely to be friends for life,” Jess said sarcastically. “Thank you for the correction, that’s so much better,” Rory says, laughing.

When they get back to Truncheon, Matt and Chris had abandoned their desks, and Jess and Rory only assumed they were up in the apartment. Before Jess reaches the stairs, Rory grabs his hand to stop him, “wait,” she says. He turned around, curious, and Rory grabbed him by the waist and pulling him close, before kissing him deeply, allowing her tongue to slip in between his parted lips. After a minute, she pulled away and kissed him again lightly on the cheek. “Just wanted to do that while we had a second alone,” she said, smiling at Jess who grinned back. “I missed you, Gilmore,” he says, kissing her again on the lips before leading her up the stairs.

“Hey guys,” Jess says as he and Rory walk into the apartment. “Hey, Jess, Rory,” Chris says, looking up from his phone. Jess walks over to the coffee machine to start a spot, and Rory almost melts on the spot. Matt raised an eyebrow at Jess, “coffee? It’s like 9 p.m. dude,” he says and Jess just shrugs and nudges Rory’s shoulder. “I’m something of a coffee addict,” Rory explains, as Jess hands her a mug that looks oddly like the ones at Luke’s. “Hm,” Chris says.

“So Rory, how’s Yale?” Matt asks, breaking the silence. “Oh it’s good, a little hectic, we just finished up midterms and I’ve got two theses to write, and I’m editor-in-chief of the newspaper, so kind of a lot,” she says, sipping her coffee, trying not to make herself panic thinking about her long to-do list. Jess, sensing her stress, put a hand on the small of her back and gave her a small smile. “I do not miss those days, academia was not for me,” Matt says, getting up to wash his plate. “Jess told me, UPenn right? That’s impressive,” Rory says, and Matt nods in response. “It’s no Yale, but it made the parents happy and now I have a great piece of decoration and bragging rights,” Matt says gesturing to his diploma that hung on the wall. Rory chuckled slightly, nerves calming slightly, with the help of coffee, and Jess.

They spend the evening playing cards on the floor of the apartment with Matt, Matt’s girlfriend, Chris, and Matt’s girlfriend’s roommate, and Rory doesn’t know if she’s ever been happier. Later that night, after Caroline (Matt’s girlfriend) and her roommate, Jane have left, it’s just Matt, Chris, Jess, and Rory. Jess and Rory are leaning against the couch, Rory’s head on Jess’s shoulder, almost asleep from the long day, Jess’s arm around Rory’s shoulder with their hands lightly intertwined at her shoulder. “What,” Jess says, looking at Matt and Chris who appear to be staring. “Nothing, just this is not normal,” Matt says, a little tipsy off cheap beer. “What’s not normal,” Jess said, not because he didn’t understand but because he was curious. “You, with a girl, dude,” Chris says, “it’s weird, first of all, she’s out of your league, she looks like birds dress her in the mornings.” “True, he’s right, but I don’t know, it’s more than that, you love her,” Chris says and Jess smiles, “Yeah, I do, I always have.”


End file.
